WE ARE IN MONTREAL

 I first came to Montreal in 1969.  I was then in graduate school at LSU, and had some time off, so decided to drive up from Baton Rouge to Montreal with a stop to catch Woodstock.  To quote:

We heard some rumors about Woodstock being kind of crowded and maybe even a mess, with a storm approaching.  Interstate 87 went directly to Montreal, almost 400 miles away.  At Kingston, only about ten miles from Woodstock, we saw that the traffic to get off was a problem, so we continued on to Montreal.  That's one of the better decisions I've ever made.  Then again, we missed three days that defined my generation.  Maybe I should have made that turn off the freeway.  I had just escaped the draft by re-becoming a student towards a PhD in biochemical engineering.  I wasn't adventurous enough.

So back to our current trip, checked out of the Azamara Journey and caught a cab to the Le Centre Sheraton Montreal, which is in the center of the downtown area.

• Hotel Review: Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel in Montreal.  Was supposed to open 50 years ago for the 1976 Summer Olympics as the world's largest Holiday Inn.  Lot of problems.  Finally was finished in 1982 as a Sheraton.
• 38 floors and 825 rooms.
• Very convenient, as it is close to the Bonaventure Metro station, a short walk to the Bell Centre and Saint-Catherine Street shopping area and in the heart of the Golden Square Mile.
• Just emerged from an extensive renovation, ushering in a new era.  Watch a video of a Club-floor room and Club Lounge.

We have six days in Montreal.

• Thought we'd spend two of those days on the Gray Line Hop On and Hop Off Bus service.  Details:
• $49/person for two days.
• Comments:
• Can't take the paper bracelet off after Day One.  Means you need to shower, sleep, etc. with it on.
• Bus stops are not marked.
• 10AM to 4PM.
• I think there is a one-day pass for $39/person.
• Our stop is a 5-minute walk away.
• Reviews are all over the map, and there are too many negative ones.

• 
  Stops.

Stop 1: Square Dorchester (Infotourist Centre, 1001 Rue du Square Dorchester).  5-minute walk away from our hotel.

Stop 2: Parc de La Presse / Place d'Armes area

Stop 3: Hangar 16 (Old Port / Bonsecours Market)

Stop 4: Pointe-à-Callière Museum (Old Montreal)

Stop 5: Village (Atateken / Sainte-Catherine)

Stop 6: Latin Quarter / Festival Quarter (Avenue du Président-Kennedy & Rue de Bleury)

Stop 7: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Stop 8: Côte-des-Neiges / Saint Joseph's Oratory area

Stop 9: Mont Royal Parking

Stop 10: Belvédère Camillien-Houde (Kondiaronk/Camillien Houde Lookouts) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

3.9 score

• 
  Or, for $50/person:  Montreal, Heart of the City Tour.
• 3.5 hours, with tour guide plus driver.
• Discover the best of Montreal on this educational and entertaining 3.5-hour sightseeing tour. Begin with a convenient hotel pickup in downtown Montreal, or meet your expert local guide and fellow travelers in the city before boarding a comfortable motor coach. Enjoy engaging live commentary filled with fascinating stories, fun facts, and cultural insights that bring Montreal's history and culture to life.
• Highlights

• 
  Discover Montreal's most iconic sights and neighborhoods on a comfortable, expertly guided city tour. 
• Explore the vibrant Old Port, admire the towering Olympic Stadium, and take in sweeping views from Mount Royal Park. 

• 
  Wander through historic districts, pass through lively Chinatown, and experience the unique blend of culture, charm, and architecture that defines this remarkable city. 
• Travel aboard a climate-controlled coach, listen to engaging live commentary, and enjoy the convenience of hotel pickup for a smooth and enjoyable sightseeing experience
• Includes
• Air-conditioned motor coach
• Professional local guide
• Live onboard commentary
• Applicable local taxes
• Excludes
• Gratuities
• Meals
• Admissions
• 4.2 score.

We will look into this tour today for tomorrow.

Goodbye Dolly.

A Look Back at Her Extraordinary Life.  Watch that video by clicking on it.

• Born in a tiny cabin in Tennessee, as one of 12 children.  Doctor paid with a sack of cornmeal.
• Photo of her at 19 to the right.
• At the age of 20, met 23-year old Carl Dean in a Nashville laundromat in 1964, they got married in 1966, and remained together until his death in 2025.  59 years.

• 
  Wrote both Jolene and I Will Always Love You on the same day in 1973 (this is the 1992 recording by Whitney Houston.).
• On the cover of Playboy in 1978.  Outfit was made by Keanu Reeve's mother.
• Owned perhaps 350 wigs.  Wore one every day to protect her natural hair.
• Dollywood opened in 1986 in Silver Dollar City, Tennessee.

• 
  In 2020 donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University, leading to the development of the Moderna COVI-19 vaccine.
• Founded The Imagination Library to honor her father (who never learned to read or write), which gave away 330 million books.
• Holds 11 Guinness World Records.

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QUEBEC, continued

According to Google AI:

The war between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran is currently in a severe economic stalemate after a temporary 60-day ceasefire expired in August 2026. Direct military strikes have largely paused, and the conflict now centers on a naval blockade and heavy financial isolation. [1, 2, 3]

Current Situation Highlights

Economic Warfare: President Trump announced a massive package of new sanctions, describing it as a "crushing economic operation" and an "economic D-Day" designed to completely isolate Iran's financial and digital assets. [1, 2, 3]

Strait of Hormuz Blockade: The U.S. Navy is enforcing a strict naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, having redirected dozens of commercial cargo ships. While Iran has discussed a limited, temporary shipping route with Oman, the main waterway remains restricted and heavily monitored by U.S. forces.[1, 2, 3]
Stalled Diplomacy: Formal negotiations between Washington and Tehran have broken down, though neighboring countries like Pakistan and Oman continue behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to restart talks.

We had a Quebec stop on the Viking Octantis this past spring.  Read my complete travelogue about this city.  I will today portray Quebec through Steve Barakatt, an award-winnning composer, pianist, music producer and  creative director.  He was one of the Canadian entertainers for the recent FIFA World Cup.  What you will view was a free Amazara Journey outing, an AzAmazing Evening experience at the Palais Montcalm of Quebec City, Feel the Soul of Quebec.

Boarded vans to the Palais Montcalm.  A ten-minute ride.  Inside the theater.

There are ten videos, and loading is so slow that you will need to return to see them.

After the performance, outside the theater.

Some fun facts about Quebec:

• The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac holds the Guinness World Reord as the most photographed hotel on Earth.
• Old Quebec is the only fortified city with surviving ramparts in North American north of Mexico.
• Processes about 70% of the entire world's pure maple syrup.
• The province of Quebec contains over 500,000 lakes.
• Minnesota has almost 12,000 lakes.
• The USA has over 125,000 lakes.
• The World has around 117 MILLION lakes.
• Canada has about 2 million lakes.  #2 is Russia with around 200,000 lakes. USA? Perhaps 100,000.
• So you ask, how can this be???
• Those 117 million can be as small  as about half an acre (.00078 square miles) in size.
• When you set the limit at 0.4 square miles, the world only has 1.42 million lakes.
• 
  Montmorency Falls just outside of Quebec City is roughly 98 feet taller than the Niagara Falls.
• Quebec province is three times the size of France, and larger than the state of Alaska.
• About 94% of the electricity comes from hydroelectric power.

• 
  Their comfort food, which they invented, is Poutine:  french fries, cheese curds and gravy.
• Is home to the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, the oldest continuously running English-language newspaper in North America, founded in 1764.  The city itself goes back to 1608.
• Quebec is a province, but Quebec City is also known as Quebec.
• 95% of Quebecers speak French.  However, 40% of the population is IRISH.
• The Quebec Winter Festival, known as Carnaval, is the largest winter festival in the world.

Well, so much for Quebec.  The Azamara Journey arrived in Montreal.

Typhoon Saudel at 89 MPH brushed Okinoerabujima Island this morning, and injured two.  Saudel actually increased in strength after leaving Amami Islands and is now up to 100 MPH.  However, the typhoon should return to Category 1 status and make landfall over China near Wenzhou late tomorrow.

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